Letter-box.



PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

H. P. KEIL.

LETTER BOX.

APPLIGATION FILED SEBT. 28, 1904.

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No. 789,868. PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

H. P. KEIL.

LETTER BOX.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 28. 1904.

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Fig- E1- No. 789,368. PATBNTED MAY 9, 1905. H. F. KEIL.

LETTER BOX.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 28. 1904.

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Patented May 9, 1905.

ATENT FFICE,

HENRY FRANCIS KEIL, OF BltONXVlLLE, NEW YORK.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,368, dated May 9, 1905.

Application filed September 28, 1904. Serial No. 226,316.

To cti/fiwhcm/ it may concern:

Be it known that I, H ENRY FnANcIs K EIL, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Bronxville, in the county of VVestchester and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Letter-Box, of which the following is a specification, the same being a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to boxes constructed and arranged to receive letters and atfixed at the entrance of a dwelling or apartmenthonse, usually upon the wall of the hall near the door, having a slit through which letters may be inserted, and also provided with a push-button and speaking-tube; and it has for its object the production of a letter-box constructed entirely of wrought material con structed so as to avoid the necessity of employing rivets, screws, &c., the structure being of simplified construction, the various parts of which may be separated or taken apart, and the whole being ornamental in appearance and efiicient in practical use.

With this object in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination and arrangement of parts, allof which will be hereinafter described, and specifically pointed out in the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a letter-box made according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, and Fig. 3 a rear elevation, of the same. Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are views in detail of the various interlocking parts to engage theface-plate. Figs. 9 and 12 are elevations, Figs. 10 and 13 views, in section, and Fig. 11 adetail, of other letter-box doors constructed according to this invention.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the views.

Referring particularly to the drawings, A denotes the face-plate of the letter-box combination disclosed in the present embodiment of this invention, the said face-plate being formed with four orifices or openings namely, an orilice a for the entrance therein of the speaking-tube B, a slit 4/ serving as a letter-drop, an opening (1 behind the door 1), and an aperture (15 for the push-button c, the Wall or rim of which latter aperture is screw- .threaded in order to permit of the ready enso as to form rings or bearings for the same,

convenient and serviceable hinges being thus formed.

The edges of the openings a, a and a are ordinarily turned inwardly, so as to form a rim, and at the right hand of the door-opening a two inwardly-extending projections (1- are located, in each of which is formed a U- shaped slot 0/. At the corresponding edge of the door D lugs or projections (Z are made, having prongs cl, constructed and arranged to engage and enter the slots (0. After bebeing entered in the said slots the ends of the said prongs are bent downward, whereby the door and the face-plate become directly attached together and interlocked in a movable relation, the said interlocking connection constituting efficient and durable hinges.

In the door Dan orifice or cylinder-hole (Z is formed, around the edge of which is spun the rim g of the lock-retaining plate G, the two parts being thereby rigidly attached together and an opening being formed and pro Vided for the entrance therethrough of the cylinder of the lock H. The plate G has a series of lugs or prongs extending outwardly from the same and constructed and arranged to register with and to be passed through a corresponding series of oblong apertures 71?, formed in the rear face of the lockplate proper, which prongs upon being bent over serve to rigidly fasten the said lock H to the door 1).

' A panel-frame J is constructed and arranged to entirely surround the glass 1', and also has retaining-grooves 7" to contain a name-plate. The said panel-frame has extending from its sides large flanges j to engage with the rim edge of the door, which edge may be nicked or bent down against or soldered to the said flanges, whereby the said flanges, glass, and door are attached together without the use of any screws or rivets whatsoever.

From the lower edge of the door-opening a hooks a are bent in a downward direction. A tin box K is made with inwardly-extending flanges in, formed on the tops of the two narrow walls thereof, which flanges are snapped under the hooks (0* and (4 whereby the said box to contain letters, &c., may be rigidly but detachably secured to the faceplate A.

The hinge connection of the door and face plate may be varied, as shown in Figs. 9 to 13, where the portions of the face-plates designated as A and A are provided with extensions (r and (4 in which are formed slots (0 and a through which the projections (Z of the doors D and D having prongs (Z and (Z extending therefrom, are passed. plane of the door when passed through the slots and are bent up at an angle to the door to fasten the parts together, whereas the prongs (Z in Figs. 1 and 8 are formed so as to lie at an angle to the plane of the door originally, and after being passed through the slots (1." are bent down so as to be in a plane parallel with the door D.

As it is evident that many changes in the construction, form, proportion, and relative arrangement of parts might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope These prongs are parallel with theof my invention, I would have it understood that I do not restrict myself to the particular construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, but that such changes and equivalents may be substituted therefor, and

that

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a letter-box, a door having prongs extending from the same, in combination with a support therefor formed with an interior open portion and inwardly-extending parts, each made with a slot in the same in alinement with the edge of the opening to register with the door-prongs.

2. In a letter-box, a door having a rim edge and an opening, and a glass to cover the said opening, and a frame constructed and arranged to extend around the glass and having grooves to contain a name-plate, the said frame also having laterally-extending flanges to engage the rim of the said door.

3. In a letter-box a face-plate having a letter-drop, hooks (0* formed above the said letter-drop, hooks (L7 located below the letterdrop, and a metal box having inwardly-extending flanges I; constructed and arranged to be snapped or sprung under the said hooks.

In testimony of the foregoing specification I do hereby sign the same, in the city of New York, county and State of New York, this 20th day of September, 1904.

HENRY FRANCIS KEIL.

Witnesses:

F. A. WURZBAGH, H. BAURMANN. 

